A MODEL FOR GENDER-BASED POST HARVEST FISHERIES TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER

INITIATIVES

Encarnacion Emilia S. Yap, Ernestina M. Peralta, Ruby P. Napata, Liberty N. Espectato, and Genna N. Serofia

University of the Philippines Visayas

GAF6

Importance of Fisheries

~ 56.6 million people worldwide

84% Asians 19% Women

engaged in primary fisheries production sectors

Source: SOFIA 2016

INTRODUCTION

Source: SOFIA 2016

Rationale

In providing alternative livelihood activities......

- must come up with an intervention model for a gender-based postharvest fisheries technology transfer

- more holistic approach – from “source to

plate”

Objectives

The geographical location of the municipality of Carles, Iloilo, Philippines

Project Site

Assessment of the status of coastal resources - resource availability and utilization, the capacity of fishing

communities, their problems, and their training needs. - done using Focus group discussions (FGD) and key informant

interviews of a total of 149 participants in five (5) barangays.

Livelihood training workshops - training modules were developed and then implemented - included trainings on: Fish Processing Technologies, Value

Addition, Fish Packaging and Labeling, Food Safety, Hygiene and Sanitation in Coastal Communities, Enterprise Planning and Development, Financial Statement and Record Keeping.

- 40 participants were selected from the different coastal barangays of Carles.

Product Commercialization - products of the women’s group were included in the Carles

AgroFair in October 2012.

Methodology

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Photos taken during the focus group discussions and interviews of the participants in the barangays of Carles, Iloilo

Results Defining the roles of women in

coastal communities

1. Status of the coastal communities

“Carles Municipal Fisheries Code of 2008” - decrees tougher fines and jail terms to violators; recognizes the municipality’s need for food security as the primary consideration by limiting access of outsiders to the fisheries and aquatic resources of the municipality

Municipal MPA System Management Council -

institutionalizes the establishment of 50,000 hectares marine protected areas

PROFILE OF PARTICIPANTS

Annual Household

Income (PhP) # Percent

700-1999 7 4.70

2000-4999 98 65.77

5000-9999 31 20.81

10000-19999 11 7.38

20000-30000 2 1.34

Name of Barangay Total GENDER

Male Female

Brgy Buaya 39 22 17

Brgy Alipata 30 17 13

Brgy San Fernando 27 25 2

Brgy Bancal 27 18 9

Brgy Barosbos 26 26 0

Total 149 108 41

% from total 72.48 27.52

Educational

Attainment # Percent

College graduate 13 8.72

Vocational graduate 1 0.67

HS graduate 60 40.27

Elementary graduates 75 50.34

Resources in the area are still considered abundant by most of the participants in the key informant interviews (KII) and focus group discussions (FGD). BUT the participants are still not earning enough for their families.

Problems on fisheries resources/related to fish catch: 1. encroachment by commercial fishers of the municipal waters; 2. overfishing especially of siganids (danggit); 3. cyanide fishing; and 4. the use of the following destructive fishing methods and gears: (1) zipper that destroys the environment (2) dynamite fishing (3) taksay (dragging method to catch shrimp) (4) fine mesh nets; and (4) trawl (most trawlers other nearby areas)

2. Present roles of women in the coastal communities

Main Occupation # Percent

Fishing 124 83.22

Fish/Food Vending 3 2.01

Net Mending 1 0.67

Fish Buying 1 0.67

Fish Drying 1 0.67

Other activities

Buy and Sell 4 2.68

Laundry women 1 0.67

Housekeeping 14 9.40

- 108 men are all engaged in fishing

- 16 women who are engaged in fishing are mostly involved in gleaning and shellfish gathering

- 25 women are engaged in other activities

Major occupations of the Key Informant Interview participants from 5 barangays

in Carles, Iloilo (n=149)

- the roles of men and women are sharply defined in the coastal communities of Carles, Iloilo men are the catchers while most women are designated to repairing of fishing nets and to processing and marketing of the catch, and other non-fisheries activities

# Percent

Men 101 67.79 Women 43 28.86 Both 5 3.36

Opinion of the respondents as to who should engage in fish processing (n=149)

Changing view ? Although men are still considered the head of the household and as such, should provide for the family by engaging themselves in fishing activities, they now view that they may also be involved in jobs traditionally “designated” for women.

GENDER ATTITUDE

Opportunities for improving and diversifying livelihood activities

1. Alternative income generating activities for women

- Finding the most appropriate sustainable livelihood has always been a challenge especially in areas where fishing communities refuse to completely detach from the marine environment as a source of livelihood.

- Training activities are necessary for the communities

Factors # Percent Products are easy to sell 21 34.23 Can be a good livelihood activity 16 26.23 Sources are readily available 7 11.48 Easy money, good price 5 8.20 Products are more expensive than dried fish 4 6.56 Easy processing 3 4.92 Seasonality of species 2 3.28 No extra expenses, can get financing 2 3.28 Profitability 1 1.64

Factors that influence the choice of fish processing activities for the community (n=149)

2. Increasing the capacity and exposure of women (and men) to appropriate fisheries

postharvest technologies

PROFILE OF TRAINING PARTICIPANTS

Number %

AGE DISTRIBUTION 21-30 6 15.0 31-40 9 22.5 41-50 12 30.0 51-60 10 25.0 61 up 3 7.5

Number %

EDUC'L ATTAINMENT

Elementary 3 7.5 High School 15 37.5 Voc School 2 5.0 College 20 50.0 GENDER

Female 31 77.5 Male 9 22.5

Photos taken during the training workshops of the targets beneficiaries in Carles, Iloilo

21 Photos taken during the training workshops of the targets beneficiaries

in Carles, Iloilo 21

2. Small scale enterprise development in coastal communities

Photos taken during the micro-enterprise development training workshops of the targets beneficiaries in Carles, Iloilo

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3. Providing the opportunities to engage in small-scale enterprises

Photos taken during the Carles Agri-Fisheries Fair

Average score of the self assessment of the trainees on the levels of their knowledge and skills before and after

the training (5=high; 3=medium; 1=low)

TRAINING EFFECTIVENESS

Use of a gender-based model for fisheries technology transfer in coastal

communities

There is a need to have a more appropriate community-based coastal resource management approach to decrease poverty-driven over-exploitation of the coastal resources in Carles.

Such approach must consider the bio-physical and the socio-economic aspects of resource management.

Women play a very critical role

1.

Some entrepreneurial projects have been successful in some Philippine coastal communities and these include seaweed farming, bird watching tours, and other forms of ecotourism and handicraft projects.

In the present study, the participation in the training of women from the fishing communities on postharvest fisheries indicate their willingness to have their own businesses that can help increase their household incomes.

2.

The use of a gender-based model for fisheries technology transfer initiatives in coastal communities involves a holistic approach, from rapid appraisal of the status of the aquatic resources in the community and the socio-economic activities of the fisher folk, to processing and marketing of fishery products.

3.

Engaging women means capacitating them to come up with their own business ventures. Women can have their own income that can

improve their purchasing power. Women can find self actualization or self worth as

they are able to share their knowledge and skills to alleviate their family’s economic status.

Gender sensitivity trainings must also be incorporated as an important part of any community-based activities

4.

to provide venues for women to break away from the usual gender-stereotypes in traditional Filipino families. to increase awareness on the important roles of

women in the household and in the communities to bring changes in the division of labor in the home and to have practices that would be replicated by their children and the other generations to come

Thank you !